Jessica Lee is an astronomer and educator at Greenwich’s Royal Observatory which is currently marking its 350th anniversary this year, and she has top tips on the showers in the upcoming months.
Meteor showers are always a visual marvel to see in our night skies and this spring many of us are set to see quite a few, starting with the Lyrids shower from mid-April.
A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through a cloud of debris from either a comet or asteroid, and this debris, or rock, gets so hot that it glows, appearing to us as shooting stars or meteors.
What are some of the best upcoming dates to see them in the night sky from London?
According to Jessica, living in London with its bright city lights can make seeing meteor showers more challenging, with some of the fainter ones more difficult to see.
However, brighter meteor showers are easier to spot even in very light polluted areas from London.
But if you don’t want to miss anything, Jessica recommends taking a trip to a darker area like a field or even the countryside for a chance to see a lot more.
When is the next meteor shower happening?
The next meteor shower technically visible from London is the Lyrids, which will reach its peak on April 22.
The predicted hourly rate of meteors is around 18, equating to one about every 3 minutes.
Some of those will be too faint to see from London, or will occur out of your line of sight, so Jessica recommends waiting in one area for a longer period of time for a chance to see one.
Jessica added that one of her “favourite” showers to see this year is the Perseids, which will take place in August with up to 150 meteors per hour.
What’s the best way to see them?
The best way to spot meteor showers is through the naked eye, with open areas like a field or park being the best options if they are accessible to you.
Jessica also added that it’s best to go out as late as possible and wait for longer periods of time, as these meteors tend to appear sporadically throughout the sky and usually only last for a few seconds.
Here’s a full list of all the upcoming meteor showers this year:
Lyrids:
- When? Between April 16 – April 22
- Expected peak: April 22
Eta Aquariids:
- When? Between April 19 – May 28
- Expected peak: May 5
Alpha Capricornids:
- When? Between July 3 – August 15
- Expected peak: July 30
Delta Aquariids:
- When? Between July 12 – August 23
- Expected peak: July 30
Perseids:
- When? Between July 17 – August 24
- Expected peak: August 12
Draconids:
- When? Between October 6-10
- Expected peak: October 8
Orionids:
- When? Between October 2 – November 7
- Expected peak: October 22
Taurids (Southern):
- When? Between September 10 – November 20
- Expected peak: October 10
Taurids (Northern):
- When? Between October 20 – December 10
- Expected peak: November 12
Leonids:
- When? Between November 6-30
- Expected peak: November 17
Geminids:
- When? Between December 4-20
- Expected peak: December 14
Ursids:
- When? Between December 17-26
- Expected peak: December 22
